It is every woman’s dream to have silky-soft hair. But harsh salon procedures can take the life out of it and rarely do we have any control over the environmental damage that affects almost every hair type, resulting in dull and lacklustre hair. And undeniably some of us are just born with very frizzy and unmanageable hair. For this reason, more and more women are flocking to the salons for their dose of keratin treatment.

Recommended Video We’ve consulted top experts to help you understand everything that is there to know about keratin treatments and shampoos. Get all your questions answered and check out our top 4 favorites you might want to try!

What Is Keratin Treatment

Keratin is a protein already found in your hair. Keratin treatment is built of this natural protein, a mix of conditioners and, in the majority of cases, formaldehyde. It is one of the hottest and leading salon straightening procedures for semi-permanent silky smooth hair. This therapy has gained popularity due to its anti-frizz effect and conditioning benefits, the ability to turn dull and damaged hair into soft, supple and bouncy locks.

And all this without altering the structure of your hair, i.e. without breaking the natural hair bonds, which makes it a great alternative to relaxers. If for example, you have curly hair, professional keratin treatment will soften your natural curls into baby soft, extremely manageable twirlies so much that you could head out without even having to style it with any hair products!

Advertisement At the same time, keratin treatments with a higher concentration of Formaldehyde can give smoother, straighter results. See the before and after pics below.

PHOTO: @keva_s_davis

Difference Between Keratin Hair Smoothing and Japanese Straightening Treatment

Japanese straightening gives hair a permanent pin-straight and flat look. Keratin treatments gradually wash out, allowing the natural hair to emerge. While the keratin treatment washes out over time, Japanese straightening treatments demand a lot of upkeep to maintain the effect. Therefore, keratin doesn’t last as long as Japanese straightening, but it also doesn’t interfere with the grow-out phase. Both treatments use a very high heat flat iron to close the product in the hair fibers.